The present invention relates to a fire extinguishing method and a fire extinguishing apparatus that exhibit high fire fighting efficiency. More particularly, the present invention relates to an effective fire extinguishing method and fire extinguishing apparatus using pumped water for fire fighting that has been mixed with a powder fire extinguishing agent.
Conventionally, a fire extinguishing method based on spraying water is generally used to extinguish ordinary house and building fires (i.e. Class A fires). In this case, however, a large amount of water is required. At the same time, it takes a great deal of time to extinguish the fire. This increases the burnt area and causes persons engaged in fire fighting, e.g. fire fighters, to be exposed to dangerous conditions for a long period of time.
It is necessary to further spray a large amount of water in order to extinguish the fire completely and to prevent the fire from restarting. This involves the problems of water damage by the large amount of water and secondary disaster damage to areas other than the fire-stricken area. When fire starts at a plurality of places that are far away from each other, the amount of water available for fire fighting may become insufficient.
Further, powder fire extinguishing agents and foam fire extinguishing agents are generally used to extinguish oil fires (i.e. Class B fires) at dangerous article manufacturing factories, berths, etc.
It is known that powder fire extinguishing agents have the action of inhibiting a fire from restarting. When sprayed on a combustible matter, particularly wood and the like of a building as an object of an ordinary fire, a powder fire extinguishing agent penetrates into the wood and forms a glassy film on heating to cover the wood surface, thereby producing a fire-restarting inhibiting effect.
It is known that a foam fire extinguishing system extinguishes a fire by the cooling effect of an aqueous solution and the smothering effect of a foam. However, a large amount of water is needed, and it takes a long period of time to suppress flames.
At present, foam fire extinguishing agents are used to extinguish most of fires in tunnels. However, foams are likely to be scattered by heated air of the fire. Accordingly, effective fire fighting cannot be performed.
The present invention was made to solve the above-described problems. The present invention allows epoch-making fire fighting capability to be exhibited by using pumped water for fire fighting that has been mixed with a powder fire extinguishing agent, or a combination of a powder fire extinguishing agent and a surfactant, or a combination of a powder fire extinguishing agent and a foam fire extinguishing agent in a fire-fighting water delivery pipeline.
That is, the present invention provides a fire extinguishing method and a fire extinguishing apparatus, which are arranged as follows:
(1) A fire extinguishing method characterized by using moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system, for example, a fire engine or a truck having a device for supplying a powder fire extinguishing agent and a fire-fighting water delivery pipeline; adding and mixing the powder fire extinguishing agent into the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline; delivering water mixed with the powder fire extinguishing agent through a fire hose; and discharging the mixed water from a spray nozzle provided at the distal end of the fire hose.
(2) A fire extinguishing method as stated in the above paragraph (1), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system further has a device for supplying a surfactant stock solution or an aqueous surfactant solution.
(3) A fire extinguishing method as stated in the above paragraph (1) or (2), which is characterized in that 5 to 30 parts by weight of a powder fire extinguishing agent is added and mixed into 100 parts by weight of pumped water.
(4) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (3), which is characterized in that the powder fire extinguishing agent has each powder particle coated with a waterproof film.
(5) A fire extinguishing method as stated in the above paragraph (4), which is characterized in that the powder fire extinguishing agent is an ammonium phosphate-containing fire extinguishing agent powder or a potassium hydrogencarbonate fire extinguishing agent powder, in which the surface of each particle is coated with a silicone resin.
(6) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) and (3) to (5), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system further has a device for supplying a fire-fighting foam stock solution or an aqueous fire-fighting foam solution.
(7) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (6), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port is provided in the Venturi tube.
(8) A fire extinguishing method as stated in the above paragraph (6), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port and a fire-fighting foam stock solution supply port are provided in the Venturi tube.
(9) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (2) to (5), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port and a surfactant stock solution supply port are provided in the Venturi tube.
(10) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (9), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system has a back carrier that a human being can carry on his or her back.
(11) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (10), which is characterized in that the spray nozzle has a structure in which ridges are provided on the inner wall portion of the spray nozzle at a tilt to a travel direction so that pumped water for fire fighting, a powder fire extinguishing agent, a fire-fighting foam, etc. are whirled and mixed together homogeneously.
(12) A fire extinguishing method as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (11), which is characterized in that the spray nozzle has a large number of air inlet pores in a tube wall thereof.
(13) A fire extinguishing apparatus characterized by comprising moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system, for example, a fire engine or a truck having a device for supplying a powder fire extinguishing agent and a fire-fighting water delivery pipeline; means for adding and mixing the powder fire extinguishing agent into the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline; a fire hose for delivering under pressure mixed water obtained by the means for adding and mixing the powder fire extinguishing agent; and a spray nozzle provided at the distal end of the fire hose.
(14) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in the above paragraph (13), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system further has a device for supplying a surfactant stock solution or an aqueous surfactant solution.
(15) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in the above paragraph (13) or (14), which is characterized by having means for adding and mixing 5 to 30 parts by weight of a powder fire extinguishing agent into 100 parts by weight of pumped water.
(16) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (15), which is characterized in that the powder fire extinguishing agent has each powder particle coated with a waterproof film.
(17) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (15), which is characterized in that the powder fire extinguishing agent is an ammonium phosphate-containing fire extinguishing agent powder or a potassium hydrogencarbonate fire extinguishing agent powder, in which the surface of each particle is coated with a silicone resin.
(18) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) and (15) to (17), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system further has a device for supplying a fire-fighting foam stock solution or an aqueous fire-fighting foam solution.
(19) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (18), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port is provided in the Venturi tube.
(20) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in the above paragraph (18), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port and a fire-fighting foam stock solution supply port are provided in the Venturi tube.
(21) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in the above paragraph (18) or (19), which is characterized in that a part of the fire-fighting water delivery pipeline set on the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system is a Venturi tube, and a powder fire extinguishing agent supply port and a surfactant stock solution supply port are provided in the Venturi tube.
(22) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (21), which is characterized in that the moving means carrying a fire extinguishing system has a back carrier that a human being can carry on his or her back.
(23) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (22), which is characterized in that the spray nozzle has a structure in which ridges are provided on the inner wall portion of the spray nozzle at a tilt to a travel direction so that pumped water for fire fighting, a powder fire extinguishing agent, a fire-fighting foam stock solution, etc. are whirled and mixed together homogeneously.
(24) A fire extinguishing apparatus as stated in any one of the above paragraphs (13) to (23), which is characterized in that the spray nozzle has a large number of air inlet pores in a tube wall thereof.